Improvement in purifying and cleansing sugar



G. A. JASPER.

Sugar Purifier.

No. 37,548. Patented Jan. 27, 1863.

Witnes ses: I

$4849 'nv en-t-or: '1

N. P ERS. PhuIo-ln gr: DJ),

UNITED STATES P TENT Urrrcn.

GUSTAVUS A. JASPER, OF CHARLESTOlVN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSTGNOR TO THEUNION SUGAR REFINERY, OF SAME PLACE.

lMPRQVl-IMENT IN PURIFYlNG AND CLEANSING SUGAR.

Specification forming part 'of Letters Patent No. 37,5 #3, dated January27, lSGTi.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GUSTAVUS A. JASPER, an alien, but now residing inCharlestown, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, havemade a new and useful invention, having reference to the cleansing orbleaching of sugar, which invention may also be applicable to otheruseful purposes of like nature; and I do hereby declare the same to befully described in the following specifica tion, the accompanyingdrawings (Figure 1) serving to illustrate the mechanism or apparatusused by me in carrying out or into action my said invention.

I am aware that for the purpose of cleansing sugar, water or othercleansingliquid has been gradually poured or discharged upon or near thecenter or other suitable parts of a mass of sugar contained in acentrifugal ma chine while the foraminous vessel of such machine was inrapid revolution; consequently I lay no claim to the invention of such amode of procedure.

My invention consists in combining with the said process of cleansing bywater or other liquid and by centrifugal action, as specified, a processor means of forcing such cleansingliquidin numerous fine jets or streamsunder a high degree of pressure against the mass ofsugar while undercentrifugal action, my invention enabling thick sirups to be used togreat advantage as cleansing-liquids, such preventing the melting of thesugar-crystals.

It has been discovered by me that if, when a mass of sugar is inrevolution in a centrifugal machine, we cause to impinge against it withgreat force a minute stream of sirup or other saccharine matter, theimpinging force of the stream will cause it to so act against the inneror exposed surface of the mass as to penetrate the same without meltingit, and also that the combined forces of impingement and centrifugalaction greatly facilitate the cleansing of the sugar. This will beapparent from the diagram marked Fig. 2 of the drawings. Suppose A, Fig.2, to represent a portion of a hollow cylinder or annular mass of sugarin a centrifugal machine; B, the center thereof. Suppose a particle ofwater to impinge against a with no material force, the

mass of sugar being in rapid revolution in the direction of the arrowb,it will be evident that the watery particle would be caused topenetrate the inner surface of the mass not at right angles thereto, butnearly pnrallel to it or in a direction of the tangent to 0,- but if theparticle of water be thrown in a direction, a d, with great force, itspenet ration. into the mass would be more in the direction of theresultant of the forces of impingement and centrifugal action, or wouldbe in the direction a 0. Thus, an impinging force combined with thecentrifugal force causes the watery particle not only to penetrate muchquicker into the surface of the sugar, but to go through the massquicker and in a direction more favorable to the removal of thecoloring-matter to besep arated from it. The quicker the watery particleis caused to penetrate the sugar, the less will be its liability to meltthe sugar, and the better will be its chance of washing it.

In carrying out my invention, an apparatus such as hereinafterdescribed, or its mechanical equivalent, is to be employed in connectionwith one or more of the centrifugal machines.

The drawing herewith presented and marked Fig. 1 represents the saidapparatus and two of the centrifugal machines, the construct-ion ofthese latter being well understood, they being exhibited in verticalsection and marked B B. At a suitable altitude above them thereis placedatight vessel, A, made ofstrong materia] and capable of bearing a greatinternal press ure, or one, say, of about one hundred and twenty-fivepounds to the square inch. This vessel is to be provided withafilling-pipe, a, having a stopcock in it, and it may also have asafety-valve, g, and a glass tube, 0, the latter being arranged as shownin the drawing, and made to communicate at, its two ends with theinterior of the vessel A, in order that the height of any liquid when inthe said vessel may be indicated by the liquid which may be within thetube. A pipe, f, to lead from an air-forcing pump, may enter the upperpart of the vessel A. Another pipe, h, having a stop-cock, I), near itsupper end, leads out of the bottom of the vessel A, and communicateswith a flexible pipe, *6, arranged.

2 erases -over each of the centrifugal machines 13 B.

Each pipei is to terminate in a foraminous nozzle, (Z,whieh may beprovided with a stopcock, k. There may also be a stop-cock, 0, at thelower extremity of the pipe h. lVith an apparatus so constructed, ifthereservoir A be charged with astrong or thick cleansing-liquor or sirupuntil the said reservoir be about twothirds filled therewith, and ifafterward air be forced into such reservoir and be condensed thereinunder a high pressure of fifty pounds (more or less) to the square inch,as may be required for the kind of sugar to be treated, the apparatuswill be ready for use.- If we next suffer either or both of thecentrifugal machines 13 B to be charged with a mass of sugar, and to beput in rapid revolution, we have only to open the stop-cocks b and c, aswell as the stop-cock k of that flexible tube which may be directly overthe charged centrifugal machine, and direct the foraminous nozzle so asto discharge with great velocity and force the minute streams of thecleansing-liquid against the inner surface of the mass of sugar whichmay have accumulated against the vertical inner surface of the rotaryvessel of the centrifugal machine, taking care to move the nozzle so asto cause the streams to belaid on the sugar evenly from-the bottom tothetop ofthe mass thereof. Generally speaking, about thirty seconds willsuflice to effect the cleansing. The great velocity of the minute orsmall jets of cleansing-liquor causes them to instantaneously penetratethe surface of the sugar without melting it. The combined operation ofthe centrifugal force and the force of impingement on thecleansing-liquid causes it to enter the mass in linesperpendicular,rather than tangential, to its inner surface, and to passthrough it much sooner than when going through it tangentially orthereabouts.

I do not confine my invention to the precise pressure liquoringapparatus as above de scribed, as others under different constructionsand forms and productive of like effects may be employed in lieu of it,my object being to combine with the force induced by the centrifugalmachinc-a force which shall so operate on the cleansing liquor or sirupas to driveit with such velocityinto the sugar whilein revolution as toprevent such sugar from being melted at the surface of impin gen1e11t-adifficulty which results in liquor when gradually poured orsuffered torun with little force into the machine and to be carried into andthrough the sugar by centrifugal force only. By throwing thecleansing-liquor in minute streams against the surface of the sugar itstendency to melt the crystals is greatly diminished, the smaller thestreams the less being theirliability to melt the crystals. Furthermore,my invention enables me to eni'1 loy very thick sirups as cleansingliquids, and thus to diminish the chance of meltingthe crystals orparticles of the sugar to be cleansed.

The rapidity and the thorough manner in which sugar may be cleansed andbleaehedby my invention are remarkable in comparison to what resultsfrom simple centrifugal action, as heretofore practiced.

hat, therefore, I claim as my invention is- The combining withtheprocess of cleansing sugar by centrifugal action in the centrifugalmachine a means or process of forcing the cleansingliquid or sirup inone or more fine jets or streams under high. pressure or velocity,against the mass of sugar in revolution, the whole being substantiallyas above described,

GUSTAVUS A. JASPER.

\Vitncsses:

R. ll. EDDY, PIHLO S. SnnL'roN.

